Yosemite Celtic Festival

When is Yosemite Celtic Festival 2027?

Yosemite Celtic Festival 2027 is expected to run October 16 to 17, 2027. The dates follow the usual pattern and are not announced yet.

How the dates are set: The organizers set the weekend each year; it was in November in 2025 and in October in 2026.

See every event in October 2027

Yosemite Celtic Festival schedule

• Saturday, November 1, 2025: In 2025, gates opened at 10:00 am and the Opening Ceremony started at 11:00 am. Gates also opened at 10:00 am on Sunday.
• Athletics: For the 2026 festival, athlete check-in began at 8:15 am and closed at 8:45 am, and competition started at 9:00 am.
• Music: The 2025 lineup included Tempest, Celtic Alchemy, Fresno Stag & Thistle, the Mariposa Ukulele Ensemble and Gaelic Muses, along with Western United States Pipe Band Association competitions.

Sources: sierranewsonline.com, app.gopassage.com

Getting to Yosemite Celtic Festival

• The festival is held at the Oakhurst Community Center, 39800 Rd 425B, Oakhurst, CA 93644.
• In 2025 the festival had easy access from Highway 41 and shuttle service via the Visit Yosemite Madera County Trolley and Bass Lake Shuttle.

Sources: app.gopassage.com, sierrarecmagazine.com

Where to stay in Oakhurst

• In 2025, local hotels offered discounted rates for festival weekend, and nearby lodging ranged from rustic cabins to lakeside resorts. Bass Lake and Sierra National Forest offer camping and RV options close to the festival grounds.

Source: sierrarecmagazine.com

Tickets and cost

In 2026, pre-registration for athletic competition cost $55 with a shirt and $40 without. Applications received after October 10 cost $60. Tickets and details are at YosemiteCelticFestival.com.

Source: app.gopassage.com

History of Yosemite Celtic Festival

The first Yosemite Celtic Festival & Highland Games was held November 1 to 2, 2025, in Oakhurst. It is produced by Kimberly Vaughan Enterprises, LLC, with local sponsors and volunteers.

Source: sierranewsonline.com

Yosemite Celtic Festival: questions people ask

Sources: app.gopassage.com, sierrarecmagazine.com, sierranewsonline.com

About Yosemite Celtic Festival

Highland games, pipe bands and Celtic music in the foothills at the southern gateway to Yosemite.

The festival fills the Oakhurst Community Center with Scottish heavy athletics, piping and drumming competitions, Highland dancing and Celtic bands. There is a Norse encampment, Clan Row, artisan vendors and a local twist called the Ca-Bear Toss, which uses carved wooden bears instead of logs. It is a weekend event just minutes from Yosemite National Park. The first festival was held in 2025.

Know before you go

• Events are held at the Oakhurst Community Center with access from Highway 41.
• Hotels offered discounted festival-weekend rates in 2025, so book lodging early.
• Fresno (FAT) is the closest large airport, roughly an hour by car to Oakhurst.

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